Dopamine is a chemical that the body produces naturally in the brain. In the brain, dopamine functions as a neurotransmitter and is a critical component used by the brain to control bodily movements, therefore changes in the level of dopamine in the brain can have devastating results. Augmentation in the levels of dopamine in the brain has been associated with conditions such as drug addition, psychiatric disorders like schizophrenia, depression, Parkinson's Disease, and Parkinsonian-like disorders.
Parkinson's Disease (PD) is a progressive disorder of the central nervous system that affects over one million people in the United States alone and is associated with a loss in dopamine production in a specific area of the brain. Approximately 40,000 Americans are diagnosed with PD every year, and although PD is typically equated to be a disease afflicting older adults, more and more people are being diagnosed with the disease before the reach the age of 50. It is a chronic and progressive disease, meaning that the symptoms of PD grow worse and last over time. Characteristic symptoms include a decrease in spontaneous movements, gait difficulty, postural instability, rigidity and tremors.
As with a number of neurological diseases, the true cause of PD is not known. However, research has shown that Parkinson's Disease occurs when a group of neuronal cells in the area of the brain called the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNc), begin to malfunction and eventually die leading to a decrease in levels of dopamine in the brain, which in turn leads to impaired motor control and coordination. There is currently no known cure for PD. To date, treatment has been directed to increasing the amount of dopamine in the brain by drug administration, or to more invasive surgical treatments such as targeted neuronal ablation and deep brain stimulation. Unfortunately, all treatments suffer from drawbacks, some serious, which debilitate the patient and compromise the quality of life.
What are needed are novel ways of understanding and studying these types of dopamine related disorders and diseases, and novel ways of treating these types of disorders and diseases without disrupting normal neuronal functioning and compromising the quality of life of those afflicted.